In addition to being measurable, the effects of industrial waste pollution in India are easily observable. Approximately 500 liters of industrial waste, which includes e-waste, are dumped into the Ganges and Yamuna river daily which has led to the formation of toxic foam which covers large regions of the rivers.
Where should electronic waste be disposed in India?
Look for government-authorized e-waste recycling companies in India that provide an e-waste certificate, ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations. Certified recyclers follow proper disposal and recycling methods to minimize environmental harm.
The Deonar dumping ground is a waste dumping ground or landfill in the city of Mumbai. Located in Shivaji Nagar, an eastern suburb of the city, it is India's oldest and largest dumping ground, set up in 1927.
India ranks as the world's third-largest e-waste producer, following the United States and China. In the fiscal year 2022, India generated approximately 1.6 million tons of electronic waste, with projections indicating a surge to 29 million tons by 2030.
In 2022, China generated 12 million tonnes of e-waste, making it the largest contributor to global electronic waste, accounting for approximately 19.4% of the world's 62 million tonnes.
Waste electrical and electronic equipment is collected at Recycling Centres and at some retailers. The items are then taken to a reprocessing plant where they are shredded into small pieces. Once shredded, strong magnets remove ferrous metals, such as steel.
Which country is the world's largest dumpsite for electronic waste?
Agbogbloshie in Ghana is the world's biggest dumpsite for the informal recycling of electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste is dismantled by rudimentary methods without personal or environmental protection.
All of the city's waste is dumped at landfill sites spread out over the city at locations like Kanjur, Mulund and Gorai, but Deonar remains the most debated one. The people residing in nearby areas have borne the brunt of Mumbai's poor waste management practices.
Which Indian city is known for its informal e-waste recycling hubs?
Some areas in Moradabad are famous for the recovery of gold and silver from e- waste, through the cyanide and mercury process. Circuit boards have gold- plated brass pins which are soaked in acid to recover the gold and brass separately.
In April this year, Ritu Sain, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer known for her transformative work on turning Ambikapur into India's first zero-waste city, joined CGI as a visiting fellow.
Seelampur, a popular locality in East Delhi also happens to be India's largest e-waste dismantling market. For years, this market has been home to thousands of informal workers who spend nearly 10 to 12 hours a day extracting valuable metals such as gold, silver, copper, tin, titanium and palladium from e-wastes.
Where is India's first ever e-waste electronic waste clinic set up?
India's 1st e-waste clinic was inaugurated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The e-waste clinic is used for segregating, processing, and disposal of waste from household and commercial units.
The majority of e-waste ends up in China, where labor costs are much cheaper than in the US, and where federal laws are even more lax. The US could save money and natural resources by doing the same work within its own borders, while also strengthening the economy by employing more US workers.
Which Indian city is known for its IT industry and high e-waste generation?
According to the ministry of electronics and information technology, Mumbai ranks first in generating E-waste, followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat, and Nagpur.
India currently ranks third among the largest generators of e-waste globally, behind only China and the US. The volume of e-waste in India has witnessed a significant surge to 1.6 million tonnes in 2021-22.
Guiyu, a collection of villages in Guangdong Province, China, is the world capital of electronic waste. Around 1.5 million tonnes of discarded computers, cell phones and other electronics are processed here each year, within an area of 52 km2.
Spain was the second leading destination for UK e-waste that year, with imports totaling almost 11,000 metric tons. Overall, e-waste exports from the UK totaled 37,180 metric tons in 2023.
Where is e-waste generated? Asia accounts for almost half of global e-waste generation, with the majority of this produced in China – the world's largest e-waste producer.
